


Drive By (not just a)

by GlynnisIsta8



Series: Drive By [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-20
Updated: 2014-10-20
Packaged: 2018-02-21 22:31:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2484674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlynnisIsta8/pseuds/GlynnisIsta8
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It seems like people always want to play matchmaker for Steve Rogers.  One night a few weeks before the fall of SHIELD, a waitress in a diner gets it really right and introduces him to a lively girl named Darcy Lewis.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Drive By (not just a)

**Author's Note:**

> I was listening to the Train song 'Drive By (not just a)' on a plane and this fic jumped into my mind. The first part is meet-cute/rated G. There will be a sexy middle part and then a G rated ending. I've written three endings this morning, but think I've got it now.
> 
> If anyone wants to offer beta help I'd love it. Marvel owns the characters. I own nothing but the mistakes and a bit of an obsession with Darcy/Steve. ;)

Steve was tired. He sat in the booth of his favorite DC diner feeling half asleep while he ate his ‘unusual usual’ as the friendly waitresses called it. He’d had too many SHIELD missions lately and they were feeling less and less clear, less and less right. His unease was growing at the same pace as his sense of misdirected purpose. While he was doing better at being in the world overall, he privately acknowledged he was far from completely alive. The diner was full to overflowing. If the food wasn't so good and if he didn't still have another cheeseburger yet to eat, he might have left as soon as he saw well-intention-ed, matchmaking Louise plowing through the crowd with a girl behind her.

“Steve, honey! This sweet gal needs a safe place to sit and eat. We’re full up tonight. Be a doll and share your booth, okay?” Louise’s eyes danced merrily as she set up her fourteenth attempt at matchmaking the obviously lonely man. She had tried just about every type of girl, and a few nice young men, for the darling Steve. But there was added lightness to her step tonight. While Steve had often chosen to take his food to go rather than spend time chatting with her attempts, she had a feeling about this girl.

Steve’s hardly perceptible grimace died quickly the instant he laid eyes on the girl’s face. She was all lush lips with a secret smile, beautiful dark eyes behind dark rimmed glasses, long and wavy dark hair and an expression that gleamed with saucy trouble. A quick glance down revealed sinful curves that belonged in a pinup calendar he would have paid dearly for and cherished during the war. Furthermore, while her clothing was modern it was somewhat modest. Instead of coming on too strong with what God had given her, she dressed in a way that made him want to discover her for himself. He was immediately smitten.

He nodded and managed to reply, “Sure thing, Louise.” Louise’s knowing grin hardly penetrated his awareness. His slight blush further elated the busy-body.

The girl eased into the booth across from him, grinning, “Thanks, dude. My feet are killing me! I’m famished, too.” She turned to Louise. “What’s he having?” Louise chortled loudly.

Steve offered, “I like the mushroom cheeseburger plate best, but a lot of the ladies who come here seem to like the grilled chicken salad.”

The girl laughed openly, with zest and zeal that made it difficult for him to concentrate and keep his gaze properly up. “Guess I’m no lady, then, and glad of it! Burger me, Louise, with mushrooms and cheese and some of those yummy fries, please.” Steve smiled and Louise grinned as she flounced away.

After Louise left, the girl stole one of his fries and pointed his way. “You really ought to do that more, dude. Smiling brings out that sweet face and makes you look a lot less like someone just kicked your puppy.” He stared at her and blinked in surprise. She continued, “You look kinda lost, which makes no sense if Louise there knows you by name- but some sort of sense if she wants to help you make friends. You know she could have just as easily stuck me with ‘Sister Sister’ over there by the door.”

He glanced at the nun sitting alone by the door and nodded, “You’re pretty smart, miss.”

She chewed another of his fries. “I’m Darcy. Don’t miss or ma’am me! Remember? NOT a lady.” She winked as she leaned forward and he couldn’t resist the way his gaze dipped to her considerable cleavage as it pressed against the table. When he met her eyes again, her knowing smile caused an improbable rush of blood in two directions at once.

She chuckled, “Louise is way too good to me, sort of nameless dude. Was it Steve? I couldn’t hear very well over the roaring in my ears when I saw how handsome you are.”

He swallowed hard and said, “Yes. Steve.” In the back of his head he heard Bucky cussing him for a stupid dolt. He managed to add, “Louise is very kind.” He met Darcy’s gaze with a direct one of his own.

She grinned slightly, taking the implied compliment, and said, “So, where ya from, no longer nameless Steve dude?”

He managed to reply, “Brooklyn.”

She bit her lip slightly and grinned as she saw his eyes take in the gesture. “Never been there. Might need to visit if I’m in that neighborhood and they grow ‘em like you there. You’re almost as big as Thor!” He blinked, unsure of how to reply to that. She said, “You know… the Avenger guy with the hammer? He helped saved New York a few years ago?” There was a slight frown line between her eyes. Steve figured she was concerned about his intelligence by this point, given his lack of reply. 

He nodded. “I remember that, of course. He seemed like a big guy.” In his mind, he heard the echo of Thor’s hammer slamming down against his shield.

She nodded, smiled mysteriously, and looked around as though worried of being overheard. She asked, “Were you in New York then? I was out of the country with my sort-of-boss.”

He nodded, “Yes. It was a strange day. Aliens in Manhattan?”

She shrugged slightly and mused, “I was always of the ‘hoping for a peaceful first alien contact’ school of thought, ya know?”

He grinned ruefully, “Me, too. But most of the stories, movies and comics go against that. Maybe we should have guessed it would be violent.”

She laughed, “I blame that view on most comics and stories like that being written by men. Men are more warlike than women for the most part.” She shamelessly took another fry from his plate and chewed it thoughtfully.

He nodded agreement, “Some of that is not by ladies’ choice, though. The instinct to protect has often lead men to prevent women from taking a more active role in conflicts. My girl, I mean a lady I cared about and served with, fought as hard as any five guys. She had to fight that much harder because she was a woman. She was formidable.”

Darcy sat back, looking at him with approval and wariness, the frown crease between her eyes again. “You lost your girlfriend in war, didn't you?” He nodded slowly, figuring the truth close enough to her statement. She looked distressed. “I’m such a stupid jerk! I shouldn't have joked about you looking sad OR come on so strong. I’m SORRY! Really, super sorry, dude.” She sat back and he felt the energy from her change as though she intended to tamp down her flirtatious efforts. She reached behind her and pulled her shirt down in back so that it pulled up and concealed her cleavage more. She even glanced towards the nun who was still sitting alone.

He held up a hand and shook his head slightly. “You’re very nice. You couldn't know about my loss. Please don’t feel badly. And you don’t come on too strong at all. You come on just right.” One corner of his mouth turned up slightly.

She nodded her head firmly, still evaluating as she asked, “So how long have you been in mourning?”

He sat back slightly, a surprised look flitting across his face. Was he still in mourning? While most people saw World War II as having ended almost seventy years past, to his conscious experience it had been three years. His visits with Peggy were equally sweet and painful now, and while he would always mourn that they’d not had more than a possibility of love, it was less painful than it had been when he first woke from the ice. Had three years passed already? While most people say that time heals all wounds, it was not his precise experience. He realized his silence had dragged too long. Darcy was sitting back further from him. He smiled slightly, “I’m doing the math. I guess it’s been three years. I didn't realize it had been that long.” He sighed softly and admitted, “I've been busy, too busy to realize that the feel of it’s different now…”

Her brows went up. “Wow. Long time! She must have really been something.” 

He nodded shortly and added, “I lost my best friend from childhood a few months before that, too.”

She reached one small, warm hand over and squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry, Steve. That sucks.”

He nodded and grinned, “Succinct description. Yeah. It sucks. And I think you were kind of right in pointing out that I act like I’m in mourning. I don’t think that’s as true as it used to be, though. So, please don’t feel bad or think you've come on too strong. I like how you come on… You seem like a really nice person.” His smile was soft as he leaned forward a bit.

She winked and chuckled, “It’s subtle and rusty, Steve, but you've got game. You've complimented my mind and my personality and only gotten caught ogling two times so far. Do you have any idea how rare that is?”

He blushed and admitted quietly, “I've looked more than twice.”

She laughed aloud again. “Tcha! I know! But I was stealing your fries then. Fair’s fair. ‘Sides, I’m doing my share of looking. Your time at the gym? Really paying off. You’re seriously chiseled.” She stole another fry and gestured to his torso with it. “Don’t feel like you have to try too hard, though. It’s a huge relief that you’re not an ego-maniac, what with that body. It’s almost too much that you seem nice, too. Honestly? Awesome as your body is, it’s the expression of bittersweet goodness in your eyes that gets me most. Whatever people like best, though, when you’re ready to get back out there, the girls will line up.” She smiled and nodded encouragingly leaning forward so that her cleavage pressed against the table again. Her food arrived. She tossed several fries from her plate to his.

She moaned appreciatively as she bit into the burger. “Awesome rec. Yum!” She chewed for a long moment, the first she’d been quiet since she’d joined him. After swallowing, she asked, “Your buddy and your girlfriend… they like to live large? Laugh?”

He smiled, his expression somewhat distant, “My girl was tough as nails, strong and smart. We never really had time. But my buddy… well, we were friends since I was twelve and he was the best. He was strong and smart and everything I wanted to be. I was scrawny back then and he looked out for me. He fought off the bullies and helped me after my ma died.” He laughed, “He got me out of a lot of scrapes, but a lot of those were things he got me into, so fair’s fair.” Darcy smiled. Steve continued, “When we got older he was a real ladies’ man, the kind of guy all the guys wanted to be and all the girls wanted to be with. He foisted me off on girls who really wanted to be with him, so, yeah, he had a sense of humor.” Steve chuckled wryly. His smile remained, even as he said, “He loved to laugh, right up to the end.” He chuckled, “Nobody’s perfect, of course. I’m doing what he did about me, telling all the good stuff.”

She was still eating. She looked Steve in the eye and said, “I’m going out on a limb here and you may tell me to shut the hell up, but I’m pretty sure that somewhere in Heaven THAT guy is ranting at you to finish the mourning phase and get back to living like he did.” She squinted slightly, obviously concerned he would be angry.

He sat back and considered her words, knowing them absolutely true. He could practically hear Bucky’s voice saying, ‘What’s wrong with you, Punk! Get her number! Kiss her! Tell her she ought to know all about what people think in Heaven since she obviously just fell from there. Ask her out. Ask her back to your place. Do something other than sitting there like a dumb mook! LIVE, you dumb-ass!’ He began to chuckle slightly. Darcy let out the breath she’d been holding. He bit his lip as he smiled and let his gaze drop quickly and then rake back up to her eyes. Steve said, “He would have liked you a LOT.”

She giggled and shrugged, “So are you running any of his cheesy lines in your head right now? Or should I go sit with the nun, after all?”

He chuckled again, grin almost silky now, “Please don’t leave me for the church.” He bit his lip and added, “It would be a terrible waste.”

She laughed breathlessly, “Have you ever really had to TRY with a girl?” 

He nodded firmly. “Yes, ma’am, I mean Darcy.” She raised a brow. “I have. Remember… scrawny. That didn't change until after I followed my friend into the Army. I was lucky they were able to make more of me.” He nodded, satisfied that his words were true, though they’d ring differently to someone who didn't realize he was Captain America.

She looked impressed. “You must have some work ethic and a lot of perseverance to get and stay that cut. I keep having to remind myself not to reach out and touch!” 

She laughed at his expression, then giggled again as he murmured, “Me, too.” He blushed brightly.

She finished her burger, noted she was still hungry, and asked impishly, “So, can we order a giant milkshake with two straws, share it and hold hands like in an old movie? I've always wanted to do that with someone. For some reason I want to do it with you. Besides, I think it would make Louise absurdly happy.”

He nodded, thinking this was the longest he’d smiled in his entire existence and called Louise over and ordered a chocolate shake for them to share. Louise practically preened with excitement at her matchmaking success. He turned back to Darcy. “It would make me happy, too.” He felt almost relaxed, happy and light. He nearly laughed at himself as he reached a hand across the table, palm up. Darcy slid her hand into his. He marveled at so many things; that she took his hand, that her hand was so much smaller than his, that their hands fit together so neatly, that such a sweet and simple gesture could tug at him the way it did in both heart and body.

She smiled saucily, “This is awesome! I feel like we’re in the 'Pleasantville' malt shop or something.” She winked again, “And we’re heading towards Technicolor! Know what that means?” He shook his head. “Oh! 'Pleasantville' was a cool movie a few years ago. In the movie there was an old ‘ideal town’ TV show and modern kids got trapped in it. Everything and everybody was black and white until the modern people inspired them to embrace living. The people who chose to live large changed to color. It scandalized some stodgies because there are ALWAYS those people, but more people opened their minds to new thoughts and ideas, became freer.” She grinned, “Of course for some it just meant losing their virginity.”

He blinked and nodded, “So- Technicolor?”

She looked at him with an expression of nervous flirtation and shrugged, “Play your cards right…” His answering blush and bashful look ranked up on her cuteness scale right alongside pictures of kittens and puppies curled together to nap with a teddy bear.

Louise brought their shake. Both Steve and Darcy developed a quick appreciation for the flirtation sharing the drink made so natural. Sometimes they took turns sipping and sometimes they moved to their straws at the same time. Their eyes met and their cheeks flushed. Occasionally each would drop their gaze to the straw-pursed lips of the other. Darcy began to lightly trace a finger over the sensitive skin of Steve’s palm. His mouth went dry, he trembled visibly and his gaze raked down and back up again. She gasped at the rawness of his look, and then licked her lips.

As they finished the shake, he asked, “Take a walk with me?”

She nodded, “Love to.”

To his credit, Steve barely winced when Darcy insisted on paying for her burger and half of the shake. He made sure to tip Louise well and was amused to see Darcy do the same. They left the diner holding hands. Louise seemed genuinely as pleased by that as by her tips.

-to be continued


End file.
